University of Minnesota Athletics
26th Annual Roy Griak Men's Gold Race Preview
9/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Sept. 22, 2011
Cross country teams from across the nation will once again convene at the Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn., to compete in the 26th Roy Griak Invitational. Annually one of the nation's largest cross country events, now with 11 races contested for 2011, the Griak is an event that you do not want to miss.
The Griak Invitational Men's Gold Race will feature 26 teams in 2011, with several of the power conferences represented. 278 runners will compete in the 8-kilometer race which is the most since 2006, when there were 301 participants. Start time is set for 12:20 p.m. CT.
The Griak Invite host, Minnesota, is still looking to capture the team title at their own prestigious event, and with the super-talented senior All-American Hassan Mead, this could be the year that the Golden Gophers' come out on top.
Mead won the individual Griak title back in 2009, but was unable to defend his title last season as he sat out due to an injury. Mead is back to full strength and is looking to end his Gopher career on a high note.
The Gophers entered the 2011 season ranked No. 30 in the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches (USTFCCCA) poll and are currently ranked No. 24 after dominating the Hornet Jamboree on September 10. Junior Pieter Gagnon crossed the line first for the Gophers at the 4-mile race. This was his first career victory in the Maroon and Gold and he also earned Big Ten Runner of the Week honors.
Last season at the Griak Invite, the Gophers placed fifth after earning a 136-point team total. The Griak is Minnesota's first big meet of the 2011 campaign, and it is a great test early on to see where the squad stands.
While the Griak field perhaps won't be as full with nationally ranked teams as in years past, the race field will feature several teams from major conferences looking to make their mark.
The Pac 12 Conference will be represented by Arizona, Arizona State, California and Washington. Defending individual champion Stephan Sambu of the Wildcats will be looking to keep the title in his hands. Washington is making its seventh appearance after not making the trip last year.
Iowa, Michigan State and Penn State along with Gophers will make up the list of Big Ten schools in the field this year. The Hawkeyes are looking to improve on their ninth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships last fall, while the Spartans finished fifth a season ago. Penn State is making its second consecutive appearance at the Les Bolstad Course.
North Carolina State and Duke will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Wolfpack are ranked No. 13 in the nation and are lead by Ryan Hill who finished in fourth place at last year's Griak Invite. Duke finished fifth in the ACC last season and will looking to replace Bo Waggner, who finished in the top ten last season in the Twin Cities.
Looking at the Big 12 Conference, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State have made the trip to the 2011 Griak race. The Cylones finished seventh here a year ago, just one point (200) behind Navy who finished with a 199 team total. With the state of Kansas being well represented, each squad will look to leave with bragging rights before they meet at the conference championship.
The U.S. Naval Academy is back for another crack at the Griak title this year after placing sixth last season. Cody Rome was the Midshipmen's third finisher a year ago and is coming off a solid week one performance after earning, Patriot League Runner of the Week honors.
The 26th Roy Griak Invitational has yet again set a record. Overall, over 4,100 participants will be competing from all levels in this prestigious race.
Teams Competing in the Division I Men's Gold Race
#24 Minnesota
Arizona
Arizona State
Boise State
Butler
California
Cal Poly
Colorado State
Drake
Duke
Idaho State
Iowa
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Long Beach State
Michigan State
Navy
#11 North Carolina State
North Dakota State
Penn State
#10 Portland
South Dakota State
Vanderbilt
Washington
-UM-
Players Mentioned
